Kartli
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The Kartli region is the crossroads where the eastern and western traditions of Georgian life and winemaking converge. This historic land is home to Georgia's capitals: the ancient city of Mtskheta and the vibrant modern metropolis of Tbilisi.
Kartli today is a region on the rise, actively developing and revitalizing its rich heritage. Within the Georgian winemaking landscape, the region stands out for its unique characteristics, including a significant production of sparkling wines and a notable presence of European grape varieties. While Kartli also cultivates the iconic Kakhetian Rkatsiteli and Saperavi, it has its own shining stars: Chinuri, Goruli Mtsvane, Tavkveri, and Shavkapito.
Administratively and traditionally, Kartli is divided into two sub-regions: Kvemo (Lower) Kartli and Shida (Inner) Kartli to the south and northwest of Tbilisi, respectively.
Shida (Inner) Kartli
Shida Kartli is the place where ancient wine vessels were discovered in 2017, the oldest of which dates back to 5980 BC. Since then, Georgia has officially been recognized as the country with the longest continuous winemaking history, and the Shida Kartli sub-region is where this history began.
This part of Kartli produces wines of many different styles and technologies, but elegant sparkling and perfect balanced white wines deserve special attention: the northern slopes of the Trialeti Range are ideal for their production.
Kvemo (Lower) Kartli
The vineyards of Kvemo Kartli sprawl across a vast territory surrounding the towns of Rustavi and Bolnisi. The former serves as the administrative capital of Kvemo Kartli, while the latter is its main winemaking hub.
Bolnisi (originally Katharinenfeld) was founded in 1819 by 116 immigrant families from Swabia, Germany. By the 1840s, the area had become known for its high-quality wines from local and international grape varietiHowever, since then, the sub-region has begun its rapid rise to the top: in 2018, there were already dozens of producers, and the same year, the vineyards around Bolnisi were awarded PDO statuses, such as Riesling and Pinot Noir. A century later, in 1941, the German families were deported to Siberia and Kazakhstan, and in 1944, the town got its current name, Bolnisi. By the time the Soviet Union collapsed, there were virtually no significant vineyards left in the area, and by 2015, only a few producers were operating in the region.
However, since then, the sub-region has begun its rapid rise to the top: in 2018, there were already dozens of producers, and the same year, the vineyards around Bolnisi were awarded PDO status.
Terroir Features
The Kartli climate can be generally characterized as moderately humid, with mild winters and long, warm summers. The Caucasus Mountains help to protect the region from cold air masses from the north, while the Black Sea to the west helps balance the temperatures.
The region extends north to south, so soils, precipitation levels, and other characteristics can vary significantly from vineyard to vineyard. While rainfall is generally sufficient for dry-farmed viticulture throughout the region, the Asureti area (Tetritsqaro district) in the south can get pretty dry, so the vines may sometimes require irrigation. Multiple rivers of all sizes flow through the region, moderating the climate of the vineyards near them and enriching the soil diversity with alluvial soils.
Districts & Micro-zones (PDOs)
Kartli is renowned in Georgia for its exceptional sparkling wines — Ateni got their first PDO in 2007. The region encompasses numerous municipalities but currently only has four PDOs, two of which, Asuretuli Shala and Okami, were established in 2022. Overall, the number of PDOs is likely to increase in the future.
Of the four appellations, only Bolnisi PDO regulates the production of amber wine. Nevertheless, the ageing process, the percentage of pomace used, and the decision to add stems are all left to the winemakers' discretion. However, while amber wines are produced throughout the region, they remain more significant for the neighboring Kakheti.
Main grape varieties
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Napheri Goruli Mtsvane2023
- Regular price
- €8.50
- Sale price
- €8.50
- Regular price
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- Unit price
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Winery NapheriVintages2023 / qnt.1100Wine type
Amber | Alc. 13.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – KaspiGrape Goruli Mtsvane
In Stock 1100 -
Napheri Chinuri2023
- Regular price
- €8.50
- Sale price
- €8.50
- Regular price
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- Unit price
- per
Winery NapheriVintages2023 / qnt.850Wine type
Amber | Alc. 11.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – MtskhetaGrape Chinuri
In Stock 850 -
Napheri Saperavi Special2021
- Regular price
- €9.50
- Sale price
- €9.50
- Regular price
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- Unit price
- per
Winery NapheriVintages2021 / qnt.450Wine type
Red | Alc. 14.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – BolnisiGrape SaperaviIn Stock 450 -
Barbale Rkatsiteli Late Harvest2020
- Regular price
- €9.90
- Sale price
- €9.90
- Regular price
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Winery BarbaleVintages2020 / qnt.300Wine type
Semi Sweet
White | Alc. 12.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – BolnisiGrape RkatsiteliIn Stock 300 -
Barbale Danakharuli Special Reserve2022
- Regular price
- €14.90
- Sale price
- €14.90
- Regular price
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Winery BarbaleVintages2022 / qnt.200Wine type
Red | Alc. 12.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Gori – MejvriskheviGrape DanakharuliIn Stock 200 -
Barbale Tavkveri Exceptional Harvest2022
- Regular price
- €13.25
- Sale price
- €13.25
- Regular price
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- Unit price
- per
Winery BarbaleVintages2022 / qnt.200Wine type
Red | Alc. 11.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Gori – MejvriskheviGrape TavkveriIn Stock 200 -
Barbale Shavkapito Special Reserve2022
- Regular price
- €14.90
- Sale price
- €14.90
- Regular price
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- Unit price
- per
Winery BarbaleVintages2022 / qnt.200Wine type
Red | Alc. 13.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Gori – MejvriskheviGrape ShavkapitoIn Stock 200 -
Barbale Shavkapito Special Reserve Bolnisi PDO2022
- Regular price
- €14.90
- Sale price
- €14.90
- Regular price
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- Unit price
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Winery BarbaleVintages2022 / qnt.400Wine type
Red | Alc. 13.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Bolnisi PDOGrape Shavkapito
In Stock 400 -
Barbale Budeshuri Exceptional Harvest2021
- Regular price
- €13.25
- Sale price
- €13.25
- Regular price
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- Unit price
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Winery BarbaleVintages2021 / qnt.300Wine type
Red | Alc. % | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – BolnisiGrape Budeshuri SaperaviIn Stock 300 -
Barbale Chinebuli Exceptional Harvest2022
- Regular price
- €11.60
- Sale price
- €11.60
- Regular price
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Winery BarbaleVintages2022 / qnt.200Wine type
Amber | Alc. 11.0% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Gori – MejvriskheviGrape ChinuriIn Stock 200 -
Lagvinari Budeshuri2022
- Regular price
- €18.00
- Sale price
- €18.00
- Regular price
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- Unit price
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Winery LagvinariVintages2022 / qnt.100Wine type
Red | Alc. 12.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – GoriGrape Budeshuri SaperaviIn Stock 100 -
Lagvinari Shavkapito - Tavkveri2022
- Regular price
- €18.00
- Sale price
- €18.00
- Regular price
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- Unit price
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Winery LagvinariVintages2022 / qnt.100Wine type
Red | Alc. 12.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Kaspi – OkamiGrape Shavkapito 70% · Tavkveri 30%In Stock 100 -
Lagvinari Tavkveri2022
- Regular price
- €18.00
- Sale price
- €18.00
- Regular price
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- Unit price
- per
Winery LagvinariVintages2022 / qnt.100Wine type
Red | Alc. 11.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Gori – OkamiGrape TavkveriIn Stock 100 -
Lagvinari Chinuri - Rkatsiteli2022
- Regular price
- €18.00
- Sale price
- €18.00
- Regular price
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- Unit price
- per
Winery LagvinariVintages2022 / qnt.100Wine type
Amber | Alc. 12.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – Saguramo · Nekresi · AlaverdiGrape Chinuri 40% · Rkatsiteli 60%In Stock 100 -
Lagvinari Goruli Mtsvane - Chinuri2022
- Regular price
- €18.00
- Sale price
- €18.00
- Regular price
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- Unit price
- per
Winery LagvinariVintages2022 / qnt.100Wine type
Amber | Alc. 12.5% | Vol. 750ml
Terroir Kartli – KhashuriGrape Goruli Mtsvane 50% · Chinuri 50%In Stock 100
Amber | Alc. 13.0% | Vol. 750ml
Red | Alc. 14.0% | Vol. 750ml
Semi Sweet
White | Alc. 12.0% | Vol. 750ml
